Utility conveyer



G. VAN ZALE Feb. 3', 1942.

UTILITY CONVEYER Filed June 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 6 a Z0 6. 62 1.

W ATTORNEY.

cs. VAN ZALE Feb. 3, 1942.

UTILITY GONVEYER Filed June 17, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ll] I IINVENTOR p n% W ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1942 it STATES Terri" rice 2,271,754 UTILITY converse George Van Zale, Bay City, Mich.

Application .iune 17, 1940, Serial No. 340,896

4 Claims.

This invention relates to power driven conveyers and more especially to a conveyer provided with a trip mechanism or automatic stop adapted to be actuated by object discharged from the conveyer for automatically arresting the travel of said conveyer.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to design a conveyer having a platform together with means for automatically arresting the movement of the conveyer when the article being conveyed is discharged onto the delivery platform, which means also automatically starts the conveyer when the article is removed from said platform.

Another object is to design a readily portable, light, but substantial, conveyer for conveying farm products of all kinds, which can be readily moved and spotted in position with relation to the vehicle to be loaded, and which has ample capacity for the purpose required.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical, and inexpensive conveying means which can be readily manufactured and assembled, and which is readily adapted for handling sacked produce, crates, baskets, and similar receptacles.

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minor details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side, elevational View of my improved conveyer.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevaticnal view illustrating the trip mechanism, the broken lines showing the platform swung down and the belt slack on the drive pulley so that the conveyer is stationary.

Fig. 3 i a fragmentary, top plan view.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, front, elevational view of the supporting standard.

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view illustrating the shiftable tensioning pulley.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary view showing the attachment of the tie rod to the frame.

In loading sacked products, baskets, or crates or other places, it is evident that the sack, crate, or other container must be removed as fast as of produce or materials onto vehicles, platforms,

they are carried to the top and delivered by the conveyer, otherwise they will pile up and jam at the point of discharge. I

In loading vehicles it is evident that the driver must carry a considerable number of the sacks or boxes in order that the vehicle may be properly and evenly loaded, and as this requires time, it

will be obvious that he cannot take away the sacks or crates as rapidly as they are delivered, and I have therefore provided means for automatically controlling the conveyer travel so that one delivered sack or crate must be removed before another sack or crate can be delivered. 1

Referring now to the drawings in which I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention,the letter C indicates the loader proper which comprises a pair of side frame memhers I preferably formed of angles held in spaced relation by means of cross members 8 as usual, and a plurality of longitudinally disposed light bars 9 which form the fioor of said conveyer frame.

Bearings H) are provided at the lower ends of the main frame members 1 and a transversely disposed shaftll is journaled therein as usual. Similar bearings I 2 are provided at the upper ends of the frame I and a transversely disposed shaft I 3 is journaled therein. Sprockets I4 and I5 respectively, are mounted on these shafts, and endless chain it are trained over these sprockets. The transversely disposed bars or flights ll connect said endless chains to form the conveying portion of the loader, so that sacks or containers S placed on the floor 9 will be con veyed to the top and dis-charged.

Legs I8 form a support for the upper end of the loader and are suitably spaced and ,reinforced to form a rigid standard, the opposite end of the loader being carried on wheels 19 which are fitted with pneumatic tires 20, these wheels being journaled on a crossshaft 2! which is mounted in bearings 22 provided 'on said frame.

A trip platform P is provided at the discharge end of the loader and is pivotally connected at 23 to the downwardly projecting arms 24 which form a part of the loader frame. Said platform is preferably formed of bar iron and is provided with a downwardly extending leg 25 to which the trip mechanism is connected, the arms 24 being provided with a plurality of vertically spaced openings 26 so that the platform may be adjusted as desired.

Braces 21 are connected to the'leg standard and main frame respectively, and an angularly disposed guide member 28 is provided as shown, said guide comprising spaced apart bars 29 adapted to slidably accommodate the leg 25.

A structural hanger or motor support 30 is provided intermediate the length of the frame, and a motor 3| is mounted thereon and is connected to any convenient source of power.

Bearings 32 are provided on the frame directly adjacent the motor, and a drive shaft 33 is journaled therein. A sprocket 34 is mounted on said shaft and is drivingly connected by means of the chain 33 to the sprocket 35 which is mounted on the shaft l3. A grooved pulley 31 is mounted on the one end of the shaft 33 and is drivingly connected to the drive pulley 38 of the motor 3| by means of the drive belt 39, this belt being automatically slacked or loosened by means of a tripping mechanism T to be hereinafter described.

A trip rod 40 forms a part of the trip mechanism, one end of said rod being pivotally connected to the end of the arm 24 by means of a bolt 4|, said rod extending through an opening 42 provided in the bar 43 which is mounted on the motor support, and terminating in a flat bar member 44 slotted as at 45 to slidingly accommodate the shank 46 of an idler pulley 41. The shank 46 is threaded to accommodate a nut 48 so that the idler pulley may be adjusted longitudinally in the slot and then secured in set position.

A collar 43 is provided on the rod 40 in prerletermined position, and a spring 53 is interposed between the bar 43 and the collar 49 so that when the mechanism is properly set, the idler pulley 41 will be forced into driving engagement and tension the belt 39 on the pulleys 31 and 38, thus driving the conveyer through instrumentality of the sprockets 34 and 35.

To reinforce and prevent deflection in the conveyor frame members 7, I provide depending members intermediate the length of the frame and tie rods 52 engage therewith, the ends of the rods being threaded and extending through openings provided in the clips 53 provided on the frame and nuts 54 provided for adjustment.

In operation, a sack of produce S is placed on the conveyer floor 9 where it is engaged by the flight I! to convey it to the upper end of the loader and discharge it onto the platform P. The weight of this sack swings the platform about the pivot pin 23, and the trip rod assembly is forced towards the motor, moving the idler pulley 41 outwardly, so that the belt 39 will be slack and slip on the motor drive pulley 38, thus arresting the travel of the conveyer until such time as the sack is removed from the platform. Upon removal of the sack, the spring 5!) swings the platform back to original position, and moves the idler pulley 4? into position to tension the belt 33, so that it again drives the conveyer.

I wish to direct particular attention to the fact that the motor does not stop; consequently, the starting of the loaded conveyer is not abrupt, making for minimum power requirements, increased life, and smoother operation with a minimum of repair and replacement.

It will, of course, be understood that an internal combustion engine can be utilized in place of the motor, and handles (not shown) can be provided on the legs l8 so that the loader may be readily wheeled to position,

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have perfected a very simple, practical, and substantial loader for loading sacks, crates, and containers of all kinds.

What I claim is:

1. In a loader of the class described comprising a mobile inclined frame having ground engaging wheels on the lower end thereof, a standard supporting the upper end of the frame, an endless conveyer carried thereon, a power plant, means for drivingly connecting said power plant and conveyer, a platform pivotally mounted on the frame at a point adjacent the discharge end of the conveyer, and spring retracted trip mechanism attached to said platform and engaging said driving means for automatically controlling the starting and stopping of said conveyer without stoppage of the power plant when the platform is actuated.

2. In a loader of the class described comprising an inclined wheeled frame, an endless conveyer mounted thereon, a power plant, means drivingly connecting said power plant and conveyer, a tiltable platform pivotally mounted on said frame at a point adjacent the discharge end of the conveyer, adjustable means connected to said tiltable platform and to said driving means, said adjustable means tensioning said driving means to continuously drive said conveyor when the platform is in one pre-determined position, and shiftable out of driving engagement with said driving means for stopping the conveyer when the platform is tilted, and resilient means associated with said adjustable means for forcing said platform back to original position.

3. In a device of the class described and comprising an inclined frame having ground engaging wheels on the lower end thereof, a standard supporting the upper end of the frame, an endless conveyer mounted on said frame, a power plant, means drivingly connecting said conveyer and power plant, a tiltable platform mounted on the frame and adapted to receive the articles discharged from the conveyer, a depending arm on the platform, a trip mechanism connected to said arm and including an adjustably mounted pulley normally engageable with said driving means for driving said conveyer, said mechanism being movable longitudinally when the platform is actuated to move said adjustably mounted pulley away from said driving means and arrest the travel of the conveyer, and resilient means for forcing trip mechanism back to original position when the discharged article is removed from the said platform.

4. In a loader of'the class described, an inclined main frame having wheels on the lower end thereof, an endless conveyer mounted on said frame, a power plant, means drivingly connecting said conveyer and power plant, a platform pivotally mounted on the frame directly adjacent the upper end of the conveyer and onto which the conveyed articles are discharged, a depending arm on said platform, a trip mechanism pivotally connected to thelower end thereof, and including a slotted bar, an idler member adjustably mounted in said slotted bar and normally engageable with and tensioning said driving means for driving said conveyer when the platform is in its original position, said trip mechanism being movable longitudinally to force said idler member out of tensioning engagement with said driving means when the platform is tilted.

GEORGE VAN ZALE. 

